THE FIRST THREAT
437 Words
Selena woke up to voices outside her door.
Not the usual quiet footsteps of staff or the soft click of trays. These voices were hushed, sharp, urgent.
She slipped out of bed, moved toward the door, and pressed her ear against it.
“…she wasn’t supposed to hear anything,” a man muttered. “She’s just a girl.”
“She’s his wife now,” another said. “She’s a target, whether he admits it or not.”
Selena’s stomach turned.
Target.
That word again.
Before she could hear more, the voices faded.
⸻
At breakfast, Luca was already seated. Impeccable as always. Cold as always.
She sat across from him, staring at the untouched food on her plate.
“Someone’s talking,” she said quietly. “About me.”
Luca didn’t blink. “This house is full of mouths.”
“And enemies?” she pressed.
He looked up. “Always.”
Selena’s fingers curled around the edge of the table. “You said I’d be safe.”
“I said you’d be protected,” he corrected. “Not safe. There’s no such thing in my world.”
She swallowed. “And my brother?”
“Still breathing.”
“That’s not comforting.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
⸻
That afternoon, the car was waiting.
Luca rarely left the estate, but today he was going to the city for a meeting. He didn’t say what kind. He didn’t invite her.
But this time… he looked back at her before leaving.
“Stay inside. Don’t answer the door. Don’t speak to anyone.”
Selena raised an eyebrow. “That serious?”
His voice was quiet. “I’m expecting company. The wrong kind.”
Then he was gone.
⸻
Three hours later, the glass shattered.
Selena dropped her book as a stone flew through the window and rolled across the floor.
She ran to it, heart pounding.
There was paper wrapped around it.
“A wife is only leverage when she’s loved. Tell your devil that time is up.”
⸻
Selena’s hands shook as she held the note.
This wasn’t just about her anymore.
Someone out there knew what she was.
And they wanted Luca to bleed for it.
⸻
When he returned that night, she was waiting.
Wordless, she handed him the note.
Luca read it, jaw tightening, then folded it and slipped it into his coat.
He didn’t speak for a long time.
Then finally: “Pack a bag.”
Selena blinked. “Why?”
His eyes were like ice. “Because if they know where you sleep… you’re not safe anymore.
- Writer
